Bingilbeer Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 Hi All, one question I have been meaning to ask is about the Coopers FV not having the old style air locks. i remember when I brought a brew kit when I was 18 as an apprentice they had them and now they don’t. is there a reason for this and is it any better with out them on the Coopers FV’s? cheers in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 (edited) No better with or without. It wont change your brew whether you have one or not. Personally i like to have one as it is an indicator of activity but saying that not a 100% foolproof indicator of activity. I use them to know when fermentation is slowing which is my cue to raise temp slightly to finish off. Also when the airlock equalises i know with almost certainty it aint going to ferment anymore. Saying this the only 100% foolproof indicator is the hydrometer. Edited July 19, 2020 by Greeny1525229549 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingilbeer Posted July 19, 2020 Author Share Posted July 19, 2020 8 minutes ago, Greeny1525229549 said: No better with or without. It wont change your brew whether you have one or not. Personally i like to have one as it is an indicator of activity but saying that not a 100% foolproof indicator of activity. I use them to know when fermentation is slowing which is my cue to raise temp slightly to finish off. Also when the airlock equalises i know with almost certainty it aint going to ferment anymore. Saying this the only 100% foolproof indicator is the hydrometer. Cheers greeny for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Bingilbeer said: Hi All, one question I have been meaning to ask is about the Coopers FV not having the old style air locks. i remember when I brought a brew kit when I was 18 as an apprentice they had them and now they don’t. is there a reason for this and is it any better with out them on the Coopers FV’s? cheers in advance +1 what Greeny said. The lid on the newer FVs isn't airtight and allows the CO2 to escape, while the pressure in the FV prevents air from getting in. I had the same worry when I restarted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Bingilbeer said: Hi All, one question I have been meaning to ask is about the Coopers FV not having the old style air locks. i remember when I brought a brew kit when I was 18 as an apprentice they had them and now they don’t. is there a reason for this and is it any better with out them on the Coopers FV’s? cheers in advance Hi Bingilbeer. I'm similar to you in making a come back to brewing and had an airlock first time around. I wouldn't tell anyone to not use an airlock if they chose to but there's no real need. Although Greeny, above, points out his reason for using one. There's a few reasons why they are not as commonly used now: 1.They use up valuable space if you are trying to fit a FV or two in a fridge. 2.The way the Coopers FV are made is they aren't airtight. That means if the brew is fermenting it's giving off CO2 and the gas escapes the FV. The thinking is that if the gas is seeping out no air is going back in that could affect the brew eg. like air escaping from a pin hole in a balloon. 3.Sometimes an airlock will continue bubbling even though fermentation has finished because of gas pressure built up above the beer. 4.An airlock is also an added risk point of infection if some of the water in it gets sucked back in to the FV or an overactive krausen gets into it. The trusty old hydrometer is the best gauge of fermentation progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 1 hour ago, MUZZY said: 4.An airlock is also an added risk point of infection if some of the water in it gets sucked back in to the FV or an overactive krausen gets into it. This is why I fill the airlock with Stellarsan, not water. I'm pretty sure I have ruined the odd batch when festy water form the airlock was sucked back into the bucket, while taking a sample. I've seen people use Vodka and Scotch but I consider this a serious waste of perfectly good spirits 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 (edited) I got rid of mine and replaced it with gaffer tape over the hole. The lid is backed off slightly to allow the CO2 to escape. All my timing with temp rises and whatnot are based on hydrometer readings. Edited July 20, 2020 by Otto Von Blotto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingilbeer Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Aussiekraut said: This is why I fill the airlock with Stellarsan, not water. I'm pretty sure I have ruined the odd batch when festy water form the airlock was sucked back into the bucket, while taking a sample. I've seen people use Vodka and Scotch but I consider this a serious waste of perfectly good spirits That is a waste, must have been cheap scotch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingilbeer Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Otto Von Blotto said: I got rid of mine and replaced it with gaffer tape over the hole. The lid is backed off slightly to allow the CO2 to escape. All my timing with temp rises and whatnot are based on hydrometer readings. Cheers Otto. Seems to. Ale sense as to why they don’t have them anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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